Forever Yours

4: Vampire & Wolf

 Mint and chocolate. The thick smoke invaded Oliver's nose as it filled the kitchen, the background chatter of his pack talking with Cameron was nice. Though his full attention was on the vampire currently standing shirtless in front of the stove. A cigarette sat between his lips and eyes watching the food sizzling in the pan, half closed.

 Oliver tilted his head as he looked at the tattooed designs that actually flared from his left shoulder and covered most of his back. Curiosity reached the wolf then, "How did you get tattoos? I thought needles couldn't penetrate vampire skin?" Jasper didn't turn around at the question, inhaling the smoke from the cigarette before he spoke.

 "They can't. There's a few artists that use modified vampire fangs as needles." As he spoke the smoke left his lungs, Oliver hummed in understanding watching Jasper reached his bare hand into the pan and lifted the thick strip of bacon out setting it on the paper towel next to him. It was interesting to see someone cook without utensils. 

 "Where did you learn to cook? Vampires don't eat food." Jasper smiled softly at the wolf's questions, turning to place more bacon in the pan while glancing at Oliver leaning on the counter from the bar stool. 

 "I raised a human child. I couldn't very well feed him the same thing I eat." Oliver's eyes slid to Cameron as he yelled through the house, "You knew how to cook before you found me!" Pulling the cigarette out of his mouth Jasper yelled back, "You better be grateful you brat. You'd be starving if it weren't for my ability to cook."

 Shooting Cameron a sympathetic look Oliver smiled sheepishly, "I can't cook either. You're not alone man." Pausing Jasper felt the old mark on his shoulder pulse faintly and turned to look at Oliver. Taking a moment to think over the reasons he had actually gone through the trouble of learning to cook things he couldn't taste. 

 "I learned to cook just after I was changed, I hadn't wanted to accept what I was and was looking for some kind of food that didn't taste like engine oil to me..." Staring at the food in the pan the vampire shook his head slightly remembering the other reason he had learned to cook.

 "I was also traveling with someone who couldn't cook for the life of him. His mate had died young, he couldn't care for their child and asked a pack to take her in. He fed himself by hunting, every once in awhile we would go back to see his kid... Cute little thing she was. Kathy." Jasper remembered the times Cezar would take him to see Kathy absently putting the cigarette out. The little girl had been around 25 when Cezar died, Jasper had gone back to see her a few times since then though not recently. Last he had seen Kathy she was spending time with her own child and grandson, Mary and Quail. Mary was just like Kathy, Quail was an odd kid. Never quite fit in with the pack.

 Jasper had spent time with all of them, when he head spoken to Kathy last Mary had moved to a different pack to live with her mate and son. He hadn't seen them since. The sound of Oliver chuckling caught his attention and he turned to watch the wolf rub his face slightly, "That's two names now we have in common."

 Raising an eyebrow at the wolf to elaborate Jasper made a plate of the large pile of bacon and eggs and set it in front of Oliver.

 "Is that so?" Nodding Oliver watched Jasper open a drawer for a fork, "Yeah. My great grandmother's name is Kathy. Then the name tattooed name on your chest, Cezar. That's my middle name, Oliver Cezar. It was suppose to be my first name but my father butted heads with her and my grandma Mary over it because he didn't want me named after the rogue of the family." The fork hitting the floor stopped Oliver from rambling further.

 Looking up the wolf was confused by the expression of pure shock on Jasper's face, his body like living marble. Standing up Oliver leaned down to pick the fork up setting it on the counter but paused when he saw tears suddenly streaming down the vampire's face. Leaving blood trails over his cheeks.